Training Dictionary
Cycling Shoes
Definition: A shoe that is worn to maximize cycling performance consisting of a rigid outsole and conforming uppers. Cycling shoes are often bolted to a set of pedal cleats, which can be used to mate with a set of clipless pedals.
Purpose:
Cycling shoes offer a comfortable and efficient platform to help pedal for hours while minimizing fatigue. If you were to ride with normal sneakers, you would not only be less efficient but also cause fatigue and risk injury to the ligaments in your foot. The outsoles of the normal sneakers are not stiff enough to withstand the forces of pedaling resulting in flex as you pedal. If the shoe flexes, your foot must pick up the slack and actively work to stay rigid. This puts a lot of strain on your feet and continued stress can lead to injury. Cycling shoes are worth the investment.
Fit:
Cycling shoes are much like running shoes in the sense that you want them to fit snug to avoid movement inside the shoe. While it is important to be locked in your clipless pedals, it is also important to be locked into your shoes. Bottom line, find a shoe that is snug but allows room for your foot to expand a little when it gets warm out. Plus if your shoes are too big you might walk around feeling like you have clown feet.
Important Details
Go to a store and try on as many shoes as possible to find the most comfortable pair. Most shoes that cost $50 are as comfortable as shoes that cost $400. Carbon soles help make for a lighter shoe and often a stiffer shoe but comes with a heftier price tag. You're going to be spending hundreds of hours in these shoes, go with the shoe that is most comfortable even if it means you're flying retro 1980s colors.
